With the most significant shake-up of school food provision in England in a decade now announced, it is time for schools, caterers and suppliers to focus on how they will implement the changes effectively. Once given Parliamentary approval, the new School Food Standards are due to come into effect from September 2027.
On the surface, it’s about ensuring menus comply with the new guidelines, such as offering an increased range of fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and fibre-rich foods, with fewer options high in fat, salt and sugar. But in reality, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference when it comes to children’s nutrition – one which requires careful planning and implementation over the coming months.
At AVE, we’re already working with our clients in the education sector to ensure they can translate the new standards into practical, achievable changes across menus, procurement, supply chains and day-to-day catering operations.
Turning the standards into practical change
Now schools and caterers have confirmation of the intended new regulations, the challenge is how to effectively implement the revised Standards. A product or recipe may appear broadly suitable but still fall outside the new requirements; conversely, some products already in use may comply and require no change at all.
AVE’s first priority will therefore be reviewing existing menus, recipes, product specifications and purchasing patterns against the new standards. From there, we can identify where genuine change is required and, equally importantly, where it is not.
This matters because successful implementation should be proportionate: changing products unnecessarily can increase costs, disrupt established supply arrangements, and create additional work without delivering any meaningful nutritional benefit.
Procurement will be central to implementation
One of the biggest impacts of the new standards will be felt through procurement.
Nutritional requirements increasingly influence the specification of the products caterers can purchase, particularly in categories such as breakfast cereals, bread and pasta, dairy and dairy alternatives, drinks, desserts, processed meat and other processed products.
At AVE, nutrition and procurement already work hand in hand, and this joined-up approach will be central to supporting clients through the new standards. Where alternatives are required, it’s crucial to understand what impact they may have on cost, availability, preparation, storage and service. And, with manufacturers’ product ranges also likely to be altered somewhat following the announcement, we’ll also be reviewing the market continually to help clients identify suitable products without losing sight of commercial realities.
More than compliance
For us, successful implementation cannot simply mean producing a technically compliant menu: school meals must still work in the real world.
They need to be affordable, practical to prepare, suitable for the catering environment and, critically, appealing to children and young people. Rather than removing everything pupils currently recognise and enjoy, using familiar dishes as a starting point for improvement will be preferable to completely reinventing menus.
Communication and engagement will be vital components of the process – both being mindful of the language used when it comes to nutrition, and involving pupils (and parents and carers) in the transition through tasting sessions, food education, and student feedback.
The new standards should provide an opportunity to build greater understanding around nutrition and healthy eating rather than simply becoming another compliance requirement operating quietly behind the scenes.
What AVE will be doing
Over the coming months, our approach will focus on:
- reviewing existing menus and food provision against the new standards.
- identifying products and recipes requiring change.
- working with procurement teams and suppliers to source suitable alternatives.
- assessing the commercial and operational impact of proposed changes.
- supporting menu and recipe development.
- considering pupil acceptance and potential food waste implications.
- reviewing breakfast, snack and grab-and-go provision as well as lunch menus.
- supporting communication with catering teams, schools, pupils and parents.
- helping clients develop a practical implementation plan ahead of the relevant deadlines.
All of this will give clients a clear understanding of what needs to change, what can remain, and how the changes can be introduced in the most practical and commercially sustainable way.
An opportunity to improve school food
The new School Food Standards undoubtedly create additional work for schools, caterers, suppliers and procurement teams. But they also create an opportunity.
Handled well and planned for effectively, the changes can support better-quality food, stronger nutritional provision and more joined-up thinking between nutrition, catering and procurement.
At AVE, our role will be to help clients understand the standards, navigate the commercial and operational implications and turn national guidance into food provision that works in individual schools.
Ultimately, compliance is only one measure of success.
The real objective is to provide food that meets the new standards, represents good value, works for catering teams and – most importantly – that children and young people actually want to eat.
